The strategy, which was approved at a meeting of the Guildford Borough Council’s (GBC) Executive on Tuesday (November 28) will introduce a raft of measures to improve air quality in our area, working with key local partners including Surrey County Council (SCC), bus companies and the University of Surrey.

Cllr Philip Brooker

Cllr Philip Brooker (Con, Merrow), lead councillor for housing and environment said: “I’m pleased to see our new air quality strategy now in place. This draws together a number of measures to help improve air quality in our borough and make it a more pleasant place to live. Overall air quality in our borough is good, but we want to improve it for everyone and we are working closely with our partners on ways we can tackle this.”

“Encouraging people to use more sustainable transport, like buses or trains, or joining a car share club is a great start. But we also need to encourage the use of electric cars and I’m pleased to say we are doing just that, with more electric car charging points coming soon.”

The new strategy was developed following a report presented by the council’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee in November 2016. Then, following approval by the council’s Executive in February 2017, an Air Quality Monitoring Working Group was set up to implement their recommendations, including the development of the new air quality strategy.

An Air Quality Management Area for a small area of Compton was also approved at the Executive meeting on Tuesday evening. A draft action plan to improve air quality in the area affected includes potential traffic solutions to reduce the levels of Nitrogen Dioxide. GBC will now consult with Surrey County Council, DEFRA, local residents, local councillors and Waverley Borough Council on these proposals.

Cllr David Reeve

Cllr David Reeve (GGG, Clandon & Horsley) said: “Welcome though it is, the resolution by the Executive to declare an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) along a small section of the B3000 in Compton is, in some senses, not the main issue.

“Initial monitoring of nitrogen dioxide concentrations indicated a likely problem at that location that was highlighted by an Overview and Scrutiny Working Group, which suggested, in 2016, the need for an AQMA and also recommended that a new air quality strategy should be developed and adopted. More recently, this work has been continued in an Executive Air Quality Working Group supported by the council’s Environmental Health Group.

“It is widely accepted that the principal statutory limit for nitrogen dioxide (ie a year-round average of 40 micrograms per cubic metre) is not a safe level of exposure, especially for vulnerable individuals such as the old, the young, and those with breathing difficulties.

“In my opinion, the council’s main task for the future will be to inform residents of risks of poor air quality, to encourage them to reduce their emissions and to take steps to minimise their personal exposure. These are part and parcel of the air quality strategy that was also adopted by the Executive last night, and work to achieve these aims is already in hand with other boroughs and with Surrey County Council in its role as the highways authority.

“In the meantime work is also proceeding to identify the specific steps required for Compton. Results from work with SCC already make it clear no single “fix” is likely to deliver a complete solution, so a package of two or more measures will be required. In my opinion this package will almost certainly involve traffic management restrictions, though it is too early to say exactly what these will be.

“I am pleased that tangible steps are being taken in both these areas.”

Existing or future air quality improvement projects include:

• developing a framework with partners to monitor roadside air quality in the Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area;
• lowering parking charges for electric car drivers;
• reducing emissions from the GBC’s own vehicle fleet;
• working with local communities to promote sustainable transport and alternatives to car use, including taking part in the University of Surrey “iSCAPE Living Lab” project;
• supporting local bus companies’ bids for DEFRA funding to increase the number of low and ultra-low emissions buses in our borough.